Public Services Librarian

Ohio Dominican University

Full-time

On-site

Columbus, Ohio, United States

December 21, 2024

Position Summary:

With a strong service orientation, provide assistance in the supervision of the library's circulation services; perform functions within OhioLINK; provide patrons with research assistance; fulfill general building duties; assist fulltime librarians with projects; perform other assigned duties.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities:

Library Student Assistants

  • Assist with the training of student workers on operations, policies, and procedures of the Circulation Services unit.
  • Supervise student workers in general circulation functions, online library systems, and patron services.
  • Evaluate student worker performance and provide feedback and guidance to students when necessary.

Circulation Services

  • Work as part of a team, with other staff members and student workers, to provide high quality customer service.
  • Assure coverage of the circulation desk at all times. If student workers are not available, fill in by being present at the desk.
  • Conduct basic circulation activities such as answering the phone, checking out items to patrons, processing returns, assisting students in locating course reserves, answering directional questions, etc.
  • Supervise and assist in the maintenance of library stacks.
  • Process replacement payments.

OhioLINK

  • Supervise student assistants in the processing of OhioLINK items both incoming and outgoing
  • In the absence of students, accurately process OhioLINK items.
  • Guide and assist student assistants in the planning, strategizing, and assessment of OhioLINK processing, statistics, label creation, supply use, and potential issues.

Reference Services

  • Assist patrons with research needs, remotely (via phone, chat, e-mail) and in-person.
  • Conduct in-depth research appointments with patrons.
  • Stay abreast of reference assignment alerts.
  • Work on reference projects, such as constructing and editing research guides and tutorials.
  • Complete research requests from faculty and staff.
  • Serve as a member of the Reference committee.
  • Serve as a liaison to one or two divisions of faculty, communicating and clarifying library news about resources and services, policies and procedures, etc.

Spangler Learning Center Building

  • Follow pre-determined procedures for opening Spangler Learning Center.
  • Monitor the behavior of patrons utilizing the building to prevent theft and/or destruction of library materials and equipment.
  • Work with ODU Public Safety Officers when there is a safety concern, building issue, emergencies, or patrons that need assistance from Public Safety (escorts, lost and found, etc.)

Library Public Relations

  • Lead the Library PR team in all promotional events and communications that need to go out to the campus community
  • Communicate building hours via Google calendar on library web page, signage, library bookmarks, and Information Desk voice mail.

Other Duties

  • Collaborate with library and building staff to ensure efficient operation of the library department and of Spangler Learning Center.
  • Complete special projects in a variety of areas.
  • Serve as a team member of the library staff.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • MLIS from an ALA accredited institution.
  • Experience with library systems and general computer software, such as MS Office.
  • Experience assisting patrons with research using online catalogs, the Internet and research databases.
  • Working relationships: Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
  • Team work: Ability to work as a team member to establish agreed upon goals and to share a common purpose that is service oriented.
  • Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
  • Strong organizational skills.
  • Flexibility and adaptability: Willingness to work in changing environment to meet the needs of the patrons. Flexibility with schedule, a plus.
  • Able to use math to add, subtract, multiply or divide and may work with fractions, decimals, or percentages.

Additional Information:

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with the position. It is, instead, a description of the essential elements of the position.

Ohio Dominican University is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, as we respect and seek to empower each individual and support the various cultures, perspectives, skills and experiences within our workforce.

Ohio Dominican University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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